May 24, 2010
Last week I attended the WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference in Texas. To be honest, this was one of the best conferences I have ever attended.
The highlight of the conference was the opening session with Jeff Taylor, the founder of Monster.com. He had a great message; if you want to be successful, you need to be an entrepreneur, not just in business, but in life. Everyone can learn something from this message.
He uses “FAME” as an acronym to communicate how you can achieve FAME:
F - Be a FREE Agent. If you do exactly what you are supposed to do and do a good job, it is not enough. You need to work harder than anyone around you. Seek out to learn more and ask for opportunities even if your plate is full. Volunteer to take on more at work and outside of work.
A -Train like an ATHLETE. How hard can you work? Athletes train sunrise to sunset. Many athletes continue to work hard, even through pain and injury. They are innovative and focus on improving with diet, coaching, etc. Try new things, work hard, and constantly push yesterday’s limits.
M - Prepare like a MARKETER in everything you do. If someone asks you “How’s it going?” and your key message is “Same Stuff Different Day,” it is highly likely you are going nowhere. Prepare your message with a win for you and those who are listening.
E –Engage like an ENTREPRENEUR. Put yourself in the way; if you go to a meeting, run it. It is not about starting a business, but working on your entrepreneurial skills. Be a leader.
Fame will come to those whose skills are top notch and engage outside their job description. What do think about Jeff’s message? Can you use FAME in your daily tasks?
Stay tuned . . . more to come from the Total Rewards Conference. Learn how a company’s flexibility and expansion of rewards and recognition is key to their innovation and employee retention.
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Posted by Recognize Right
May 12, 2010
For years, I have been discussing the importance of recognition and emphasizing that people are your biggest asset. Take a look at this article in Fortune Magazine, “What makes the most admired companies different?”
What makes these companies admired is their dedication to understand that people are an asset, not an expense. This research was conducted by the Hay Group who annually assists Fortune Magazine in determining the World’s Most Admired Companies. The companies appearing on the top of the admired list are Apple, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, and Johnson & Johnson.
As stated by Fortune Magazine, if you think your employees are an asset, then you will keep investing in them. Creating and sustaining a culture of recognition within your organization could be a way to motivate your employees to keep performing at top levels. On the flip side, if you think employees are an expense, then you’re likely to cut the expense. This is especially true in a downsizing economy.
This new research conducted shows that top companies are making sure their employees feel engaged by their work. These firms are more likely to have stated what engagement means, how to measure it, to have managers accountable for it, and to align business objectives to it (efficiency, productivity, etc). Not only more admired, but more profitable as well.
Another lesson learned from these top companies: this is not something they learned overnight; it has been a practice in place for years. Champions know what their most valuable asset is, and they give it the attention and investment it deserves.
What can your company do to make it more admirable? Would creating a culture of recognition be on your list?
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Posted by Recognize Right
May 3, 2010
One of the most pressing challenges employers face today is managing the cost of healthcare for their employees. And with all the talk about the rising health care cost, I thought you might find this article interesting. A small Minnesota organization actually decreased their health insurance claims due to a long-term commitment to a corporate-wide health and wellness program.
The employees of this company can participate in a variety of wellness activities including weight loss, reducing tobacco use, and battling high blood pressure. Each year, the focus changes depending on employee needs. They also have provided a range of presentations regarding health issues; this includes cancer awareness, stress management, etc.
Wellness and prevention are not only important, but may be the method to decreasing health care costs. In 2007, the company had a reduction of 31.5% in health insurance claims. This resulted in a company surplus in expected claims dollars of $160,000!
More and more companies are realizing the importance of health and wellness programs. In fact, within our organization, we currently have a health and wellness program. We track the number of steps and the total minutes of activity daily. Each day, you are also presented with a fun Challenge-of-the-Day. You read a short wellness article, rate the article, add a comment if you’d like, and then earn points. Each day it is a different, challenging topic; for example, today we are challenged to do lunges when you go to the lunchroom, break room, etc.
Not only has it made a huge impact on our employees, it has added a fun element to our workspace! More and more employees are redeeming the points earned from the program for “wellness” type rewards; one employee used her points to purchase a treadmill.
Has your organization instituted a health and wellness program? Is your organization rewarding those who exhibit healthy habits?
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Posted by wendlynm
